In the winter I store 55 gallons of winter gasoline treated with Sta-Bil in 22 two and a half gallon red plastic gas containers.
In the spring, I use up my winter stash of gasoline by using it in our cars before the hot summer days arrive.
There is a considerable difference between summer gasoline and winter gasoline.
Winter gasoline has more low carbon number molecules and will evaporate easier in cold weather. If you store winter gasoline in summer temperatures it will try to evaporate too much and it will cause considerable vapor pressures in the storage container. If left in storage during hot summer temperatures it causes the plastic rectangular jugs to balloon out on their sides making them look somewhat like a round container. If you use military steel jerry cans they might be able to handle the pressure without deforming. But I would rather not try to get by with relying on that type of can to handle the extra pressure winter gasoline causes when stored at hot summer temperatures. So I use it up before the hot summer days arrive.
I store twenty gallons of summer gasoline treated with Sta-Bil during the summer. Summer gasoline does not throw off too much vapors when in storage at summer temperatures, like winter gasoline does, however because it is designed to vaporize at warmer temperatures, it is not a good gasoline to run in the winter, and can cause starting problems if used in the winter.
I do not store as much gasoline in the summer because there is no chance of a winter snow or ice storm shutting down the roads for several days in a row.
In the fall, I use up my summer stash of gasoline before the cold days of winter arrive.
To sum it all up:
Summer gasoline is formulated for running engines in the summer and does not try to evaporate too much when in storage and exposed to summer temperatures. However it is not good for starting engines in the winter.
Winter gasoline will evaporate even when it is at winter temperatures and is good for starting engines in winter temperatures. Winter gasoline will evaporate to much when exposed to summer temperatures and can cause the container to bulge out on it sides, and the pressure it causes can cause the vapors (the good stuff that makes it a good gasoline to run in the winter) to leave the container if it can not handle the pressure.
Summer gasoline is for the summer, and winter gasoline is for the winter. If you try to store (and use) one of these for an entire year you could have problems. If you chose summer gasoline your engines may not start on very cold days. If you chose winter gasoline your storage container may be exposed to too much vapor pressure and be damaged (bulge out, and or breach) or cause vapors (the good stuff that makes it a good gasoline to run in the winter) to escape.
